The Devil's Domain

secrets. You came here and gave each prisoner a set of Ave beads.’ Athelstan wrapped his own rosary beads round his fingers. Apart from Vamier! He can’t find his now because, instead of ordinary beads, he was given a string of Abrin seeds, the wherewithal to kill the prisoners.’

CHAPTER 18

    Confusion broke out as de Fontanel and Vamier protested their innocence. Gresnay, however, remained quiet, gazing intently at his companion. Athelstan realised that Gresnay himself must have seen something which he now judged suspicious.
    ’How could I do this?’
    Only the presence of Gaunt’s guards forced de Fontanel back into his seat.
    ’Oh, it was quite easy,’ Athelstan replied. ’You visited the prisoners. You were allowed to talk to them, bring them gifts. Who would object to a set of rosary beads for men far from hearth and country? Vamier would be given secret instructions. You, of course, had been in the city and visited Mistress Vulpina who kept every known poison under the sun. You really didn’t care if the prisoners died! You would be rid of a spy, no ransoms would have to be paid while the Goddamns would take the blame. What you didn’t realise was that my Lord of Gaunt was deeply interested in these murders. Mercurius might come out of the shadows. His masters in Paris were both furious and frightened: two great warships lost. Mercurius, himself, would have to deal with the matter. A truce was arranged and you were immediately despatched to England as an official envoy. Your appearance has changed, you speak French fluently, and you have all the protection protocol dictates. My Lord of Gaunt, of course, did not know this but he suspected Mercurius was in England . So, he sent in his most feared investigator, the lord coroner, Sir John Cranston.’
    Sir John bowed his head and beamed at the compliment.
    ’Questions were being asked,’ Athelstan continued. ’So Vulpina had to disappear. You killed her and her two henchmen then burnt their infernal den to the ground. You also had other orders: Sir Maurice Maltravers had to be punished. You hired those two shaven-headed assassins.’ Athelstan’s voice rose. He felt a hot flush of anger in his cheeks. ’They crossed to Southwark to kill both him and me. Life to you, Mercurius, is very, very cheap!’
    ’This is nonsense,’ de Fontanel rushed in. ’ You have no evidence. Nothing but conjecture.’
    ’He has evidence.’ Gresnay spoke up, his eyes fixed on Vamier. ’I was in your room, Pierre, a few days ago. I saw your rosary beads were broken; some of the beads were missing. You kept it well hidden, underneath the candlestick on your table.’
    ’That’s how poor Lucy died,’ Sir John said. ’Vamier here was careless. Some of the beads fell on the ground. Poor Lucy was always picking things up and putting them in her mouth.’
    ’A useless and futile death,’ Athelstan said. ’A poor, witless innocent.’
    Vamier dropped his gaze.
    ’Didn’t you care?’ Gresnay burst out. ’Pierre.’ He spoke quickly in French but Athelstan could follow him. ’They were our friends. We fought back to back against a common foe. Aye, we burned and we pillaged, but murder like this? Of your own friends and companions?’
    ’Mercurius’ real work,’ Athelstan went on, ’was here at Hawk-mere and it was quite easily done.’ He pointed at the French envoy. ’You met Vamier and handed over the poisonous Ave beads. You convinced him how they were only noxious to chew. Vamier had no choice but to accept. After all, he wanted to return to France as quickly as possible.
    ’Serriem was the first to die. He’d be easy to persuade, especially after he had seen you swallow the seeds and suffer no ill effects. How did you describe them?’ Athelstan asked. ’As a herb which would help? And was it the same for Routier? He would be the most gullible victim. He would need his strength, be ready to take any medication which might help his escape. Again, you showed him the seeds were not noxious, probably just before he climbed that wall and made his escape. Both men, even in their dying agonies, would never suspect the seeds were the cause of their deaths. Not from a friend who had eaten them himself and suffered no ill effects.’
    ’That’s true, Vamier!’ Gresnay’s voice rose to a scream. ’You always were persuasive, a senior officer whose hatred of the Goddamns was well known.’ He beat on the table. ’You were playing chess with Serriem the